Glad to be back. I was abroad for a bit, leading a seminar on Catholic Social Teaching in the land of my ancestors, Poland. Thanks to our host at the European Centre of Communication and Culture and to the participants from several eastern European countries. It was a joy to share time and tales with our brothers and sisters in the faith and, let me tell you: They are terrified by the prospect of a Trump presidency in that part of the world. For them, NATO is a gift and Putin is a threat and a menace.
Following on that theme, in this morning's Washington Post, E.J. Dionne on how and why the rest of the world is counting on Americans to send Trump back to his businesses.
At Politico, a former speech writer for RFK explains why he is voting for Trump. This is the kind of idiocy that occurs when a person focuses on one issue and one issue only, and also imagines that issue has not changed over time. We can all be glad that President Kennedy saw the need to build a healthy relationship with the Soviet Union. That does not mean the only criterion for the next U.S. president is whether or not that president wants to reach out to Putin.
Also while I was away, an article in the Post about that report on how much religion adds to our GDP. Let me repeat: religion could add even more to the nation's GDP, but you should still only be a believer if you discern truth in your beliefs. An expensive lie is still a lie. A prolific life is still a lie. Truth is what matters about a religion.
